As I mentioned in my earlier blogs, reviews are the toughest things to face as an actor. Why? We spend countless hours preparing for an audition. We finally get the part. Something that happens 1 in 30+ auditions on average (IF you're lucky). So the feeling we get after winning a role is not all that off from winning the lottery. Then we spend countless hours, days and weeks in rehearsal. The time, the energy, the mental, physical and emotional preparation that goes into rehearsing and performing a play is something that no one outside of the theatre world could ever begin to understand. When it comes time to performing the play in front of an audience (and critics), we are pouring out our creative spirit, baring our souls (it may sound corny but it's the closest choice of words I can find that will describe the nakedness a performer feels on stage - which we have to embrace with infinite courage). Outside of a few raves reviews ("Todd Wall more than holds his own opposite [David] Mogentale as the more serious, less flamboyant Lou, making the character utterly believable at his most desperate and, when warranted, his most surprisingly explosive," - NYTheatre.com), we did seem to get slammed by the NY Times. Please, don't get me wrong, I have been a part of some truly poor, poor productions with very little integrity in the acting, the writing and the directing and felt we deserved the not-so-pleasant reviews. But I believed in Lenny & Lou. To the Nth degree. And so did our audience. We could feel it. While on stage, you can feel the collective enjoyment, energy, laughter, eyes wide and engaged, captivated, mouths open, with big teethy smiles deflecting the stage lights back into our eyes.

The audiences on the whole were collectively hanging on every word, action and reaction alomst every performance we gave. That's what made the experience so damn worth it!

My director, Sturgis put it all into perspective by saying, "Better to get panned by critics but completely entertain the audience on every level , then to get raves by the critics, but hear nothing but the proverbial frogs and crickets in the audience. I myself have seen movies and theater after reading critical raves in the the New York Times which to some is the Bible, the Quran, of theater reviews. I couldn't get over the tedium factor. Maybe cerebral is in and sheer entertaiment is out when it comes to critics, I don't know. What I do know is this: The audience never lies. Critics however have to make a name for themselves, and even back each other up on some levels EVEN if they may have enjoyed the show - and stay a part of their inner circle. Sometimes a critic may have to slant and gear his/her review toward the demographic of his/her readers. Totally understanable from a gotta-make-a-living standpoint.

In spite the few poor reviews, from two major papers, we had quite a few of some lovely lovely raves by some smaller publications. And we managed to have large and VERY responsive audiences. In fact, a number of anonymous audience members critiqued the New York Times' 3rd string critc's review online and really we got 11 wonderful reviews from the audience. A big "thank you" to whoever you are. Even so, when you read an unpleasant review about a production you are a part of, it is so much harder to muster up the courage to take to the stage and deliver a powerhouse performance when the KEY ingrediant to even delievering a powerhouse performance is CONFIDENCE. Where does one actor find such confidence? From within. Always from within.

So note to my actor self (WHICH I WILL CONTINUE TO IGNORE), Never ever read reviews until AFTER the show closes.

Mel Brooks summed up artists and critics beautifully and hilariously in one of his earlier movies - History Of The World Part I.

THE OPENING SCENE is caveman times: You hear a deep narated voiceover saying, (I am of course paraphrasing), "Back in the caveman days came the first artist." Then you see a caveman clunking away with two rocks on a cave wall making beautifully engraved/painted images on the cave wall. Then the deep narated voiceover continues... "And of course with the first artist also came the first critic." Then you see another caveman coming over to the cave wall painting, he looks it over, you hear a few cave grunts from him and then he lifts up his animal skinned caveman garment...and he proceeds to take a piss all over it! HILARIOUS!!!!!